This English language only release comes with a basic stereo mix that has all sound directed towards the front sound stage. Dialogue and sound are clear though.

Video:

This volume of Pokémon looked really great this time. There were no noticeable mpeg related artifacts, and I didn’t notice any line shimmering either. Colors were strong, and everything was spot on.

Packaging:

This silver volume of Pokémon features a Scizzor on the cover battling Pikachu. Thankfully, we are saved from Pikachu mooning us on the cover by a small label from Gold & Silver Pokémon on the bottom of the cover. It’s a real good battle action shot. A volume number of 45 is on the security tag. On the back cover, we have Gligar’s statistics, and a superhero pose by Gligarman. Little Mareep prowl the fairies on the bottom back cover. Our inside chapter insert has Pikachu with Fluffy, a cute little Mareep with a box. The holocard this time features an Alakazam.

Menu:

The menu is very simple selection screen featuring a Pokédex. You can start from the opening, the beginning of one of the episodes, or the end credits. The menu is static and has no audio. If this part is beginning to look familiar, it’s because the same menu is used for every volume.

Extras:

None.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)

What do you get when you combine a super hero, sheep, and a dojo? This next volume of Pokémon!

The Superhero Secret begins with the gang falling down another pit created by Team Rocket. Team Rocket begins filling the pit with water and Togepi begins to drown. But worry not Pokéfans, out of the trees comes Gligarman, a super hero from the local town. He sends his Gligar down into the pit and rescues Togepi and chases off Team Rocket. Gligarman leaves, but the gang wants to track him down. On the other hand, Team Rocket wants revenge, so they dress up as super villains and with Battlepod men they terrorize a toy store in town. Unfortunately for Gligarman, Team Rocket’s Spinarack machine is much more of a challenge then he’s used to. So when Gligarman gets captured, what hero can save the day?

While Ash, Misty, and Brock enjoy some lunch in the mountains in Mild ‘n Wooly, Ash begins to choke. Pikachu gets worried and shocks Ash to help get the food down. The electric shock attracts a bunch of Mareep that tackle so they can get shocked to increase the size of their fleece. It’s overwhelming for Pikachu until the caretakers of the Mareep show up with a Raichu to call off the Mareep. Our little Mareep Poké-shepherd, Mary, though, is interested in something else. She wants to be a Pokémon trainer instead, but her mother thinks she’s too young. Seeing Ash though only encourages her to want to be a Pokémon trainer, and she asks to battle him. The battle only teaches her that she’s not yet ready to be a trainer.

Finally in Wired for Battle, the group get invited to a dojo where young trainers gather together to practice. One member of the group though, Shinjo, is extremely overconfident in his abilities. He carries a notebook with statistics on all trainers and their Pokémon. When Ash challenges him to a battle, Shinjo refuses since all the statistics on his notebook lead to Ash losing against him and his Scizzor. Team Rocket learns of the notebook, and plans to steal it in order to know which trainers to steal from and how to defeat them. Shinjo easily defeats them, but Ash uses the opportunity to finally get Shinjo to battle him. It’s time for Ash’s gut instincts versus Shinjo’s statistics!

While this volume of Pokémon is all filler, it’s pretty entertaining. The Superhero Secret is a nice parody episode of American superheroes, and Brock provides some great moments as he tries to get the girl. There are no girls for him in the other two episodes though. The fight at the end of Wired for Battle is exciting to watch also. This is a nice volume to just have on your shelves.